Device for obviating or mitigating the medical condition known as incontinence of urine



March 12, 1963 s. DEVICE FOR OBVIATING Filed June 17, 1960 A VINCENT 3080,865

OR MITIGATING THE MEDICAL CONDITION KNOWN AS INCONTINENCE 0F URINE 5sheets-sheet 1 Inventor 7 64/1405! A/mmsv/v Vm/cnvr A tlorney March 12,1963 s. A. VINCENT 3,080,865 DEVICE FOR OBVIATING OR MITIGATING THEMEDICAL CONDITION KNOWN AS INCONTINENCE OF URINE Filed June 17, 1960 5Sheets-Sheet 2 A ttorney March 12, 1963 s. A. VINCENT 3,030,865

DEVICE FOR osvmms OR MITIGATING THE MEDICAL CONDITION KNOWN ASINCONTINENCE OF URINE I Filed June 17, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 qzwd A Homey March 12, 1963 C Filed June 17. 1960 S. A. VINCENT DEVICE FOROBVIATING ONDITION KNOWN AS INCO OR MITIGATING THE MEDICAL NTINENCE OFURINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 By Attorney March 12, 1963 s. A. VINCENT3,080,865

DEVICE FOR OBVIATING OR MITIGATING THE MEDICAL CONDITION KNOWN ASINCONTINENCE 0F URINE Filed June 1'7. 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 I n 0 en I or (944/054 #wmrm V/nmr/ Attorney Unite States 3,080,865 DEVICE FOROBVIATING R MITIGATING THE MEDICAL CONDITION KNOWN AS INCONTL NENCE OFURINE Samuel Anderson Vincent, 11 Myrtlefield Park,

Belfast, Northern Ireland Filed'June 17,-1960, Ser. No. 36,844 Claimspriority, application Great Britain June 29, 1959 4 Claims. (Cl. 128--98) This invention relates to a device for obviating or mitigating themedical condition known as incontinence of urine (hereinafter and in theclaims referred to simply as a device for the purpose aforesaid) Thepresent invention is a device for the purpose aforeatent C) for exampleit may be in the form of aspringy, substantially n'gid strip of metal orsynthetic plastic material.

Preferably, however, the pad is an inflatable balloon and thepressure-applying means is a manually-actuatable pump connected to theballoon by, a suitable conduit;

The pad and pressure-applying means are, preferably, attached means of arigid mounting carried by a suitable harness to permit them to besecured on the patients body in such a Way that pressure is transmittedfrom a wide area at, and below, the patients waist directly to theperineum and ischio-rectal area without exerting pressure elsewhere.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way ofexample, with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which: t it 1FIG. 1 is a view of the device;

FIGS. 2 and 3 are respectively front and back views of the device inoperative position on a patient;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the device with the harnes V omitted; i

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the pad mounting; FIG. 6 is a side elevation ofan alternative form of pad; FIG. 7 is another form of device; and FIG. 8is aside elevation of yet another form of device. Referring to FIGS. 1to 5 of the drawings, the device comprises a body harness 10 consistingof, two non-stretchable side portions 11 interconnected at the front andback by a strap or belt portion 12, the front belt portion 12 (FIG. 2)is in the loosened position. The side portions 11 are shaped asindicated at 13 snugly to fit the patients iliac crests. The beltportions 12 are adjust-ably fastened by buckles or'slides 14. Theharness 10 is formed of any suitable non stretchab-le material, forexample fabric,

leather, synthetic plastic or combinations thereof.

The device also comprises amounting 15 adapted for location between thepatients legs as shown in FIGS. 2

mounting 15 is attached to the body harness 10 by straps 19 rivetted tothe mounting 15 at locations 20 and adjustably secured to the sideportions 11 of the harness 10 by buckles or slides 21. p g

It is to be noted that the buckles or slides 14 and 21 are pivotallysecured on the side portions 11 of the harness 10 to permit adjustmentof the device while on the patients body Without putting any straineither on the device or the patient.

The device further comprises a pad in the fiorm of an inflatable balloon22 formed of any suitable material and disposed on top of the centralportion 17 towards the rear buttock portion 18 of the mounting 15. Theballoon 22 has-attached thereto at its bottom a rubber conduit 23 whichpasses through a through-aperture 24 in the mounting 15 and which hasattached at its other end a simple pump 25. The pump 25 comprises ametal conduit 26 attached to the rubber conduit 23 and mounting amanually-operable air release valve 27, and a manually compressiblepumping bulb '28 attached to the metal conduit 26. t

The device is mounted on a patient by a skilled person as shown with theballoon 22 disposed at .the patients perineum and isicho-rectal area. Itwill be appreciated that by compressing the bulb 28 the balloon 22 willbe inflated thus applying pressure to the patients perineum andischio-rectal area to elevate the perineum and ischiorectal arearelative to the remainder of the pelvis.

In fitting the device on the patient the forked portion 16 of themounting 15 should project slightly in front of the patient otherwisethe patien-ts'jlarge tendons would be put under strain due to the factthat the straps 19 would be disposed under the patients body whereas inthe present instance the rigid forked portion 16 is below the tendons.

With the above described device on a patient it is possible to introduceinto the pump pneumatic system a manometer, which can be used as adiagnostic instrument, so that various readings could be taken atdifferent pressures and under different physical circumstances, forexample with the patient coughing, standing, sitting or tilting.

It willalso be appreciated that the bulb '28 can be 10- cated'at thepatients waist thus permitting himeasily and readily to apply ordecrease thepressure exerted by the balloon, for example when it isdesired to pass urine.

The pad may instead of beinginflatable be pneumatic or it may be solidbut resilient as shown in FIG. 6. The pad 29 in this case is formed of aseries of rubber or other elastomer laminations 30 suitablyinterconnected and covered with a coating of latex rubber 31.

diiferent shapes depending on the condition and the incapacitance of thepatient concerned.

It is considered that two or three sizes of harness will permit thedevice to be fitted to all sizes of patients.

Referring to FIG. 7, the device comprises an adjustable and releasablebody harness 32 adapted to be attached around apatients waist. Aspringy, substantially rigid metal or synthetic plastic strip 33 isattached to the body harness 32 and following closely the contour of thepatients body, extends downwardly and inwardly terminating at---alocation adjacent the patients perineum.

The strip 33 mounts at its lower end a solid pad 34 which is arranged atthe patients perineum, the strip 33 subjecting the pad and consequentlythe patients perineum to a predetermined pressure. The pad 34 may also,if necessary, extend to the patients anus. v

In a modification of the device shown in FIG. 7 the pad is not solid butis in the form of an inflatable balloon having attached to it a simplepump as shown in FIG. 4 and comprising a conduit, a release valve and .abulb reservoir, the latter being arranged at the patients waist. Withthis arrangement it is possible to permit deflation of the balloon incertain circumstances, for example the passage of urine, and the ballooncan then be pumped up to the required pressure. The deflation andpumping must, however, be done by a skilled person in the majority ofcases, in the first instance in order to train the patient in thecorrect use of the device.

Referring now to FIG. 8 there is shown a device especially suitable foruse with elderly patients Who are capable of sitting. It comprises alectern or table 35, a chair 36, and a solid pad 37 disposed on thechair 36 at a location whereat a sitting patients perineum and possiblyanus would be disposed. A cord or the like 38 is attached to the back ofthe chair 36 and to one end of the pad 37. The pad 37 has attached toits other end a cord or the like 39 which passes over a pulley wheel 40mounted on the lectern 35 and which is releasably attached to a bracket41 on the lectern 35.

It will be appreciated that if a patient is sitting on the chair and thecord 39 is pulled, pressure will be exerted by the pad 37 on thepatients perineum and ischio-rectal area.

In a modification of the device shown in FIG. 8, the seat of the chair36 is shaped to conform with the patients buttocks, that is it is shapedsimilarly to a tractor seat.

In another modification, the seat conforms to the shape of a tractorseat and the cords, lectern and pulley are omitted, the pressure on thepatients perineum being exerted by the pad due to the shape of the seatand the patients weight.

It should be appreciated that the above-described devices requireskilled fitting and cannot be fitted by a layman, in the first instance.

It should also be appreciated that the pressure to be applied to theperineum of each patient is not always the same and varies from case tocase so that here again it is essential that the devices be fitted by askilled person, in the first instance.

Various modifications may be made without departing from the scope ofthe present invention as defined in the accompanying claims.

I claim:

1. A device for treating incontinence of urine comprising a rigidmounting for location between a patients legs adjacent the patientsperineum and ischio-rectal area, a pad carried by the rigid mounting forcontiguous disposition with the patients perineum and ischio-rectalarea, and harness means for supporting the rigid mounting in position onthe patient, the harness means comprising a pair of side portions shapedto tit snugly the patients iliac crests to prevent pressure beingapplied to the patients abdomen, and adjustable suspension meansinterconnecting the side portions and rigid mounting for applying anelevating pressure to the pad and thereby to the patients perineum andischio-rectal area to close the patients bladder outlet and preventegress of urine therefrom into the patients urethra, the shaped sideportions serving to provide a pressure counter to said elevatingpressure over the patients iliac crests.

2. A device for treating incontinence of urine comprising a nigidmounting for location between a patients legs adjacent the patientsperineum and ischio-rectal area, an inflatable pad carried by the rigidmounting for contiguous disposition with the patients perineum andischio rectal area, means connected with the rigid mounting forinflating the pad and applying an elevating pressure to the patientsperineum and ischio-rectal area to close the patients bladder outlet andprevent egress of urine therefrom into the patients urethra, and harnessmeans for supporting the rigid mounting in position on the patient, theharness means comprising a pair of side portions shaped to fit snuglythe patients iliac crests to prevent pressure being applied to thepatients abdomen and to provide a pressure counter to said elevatingpressure over the patients iliac crests, and suspension meansinterconnecting the side portions and rigid mounting.

3. A device for treating incontinence of urine comprising a rigidmounting of arched construction for location between a patients legsadjacent the patients perineum and ischio-rectal area, an inflatable padcarried by the rigid mounting for contiguous disposition with thepatients perineum and ischio-rectal area, means connected with the rigidmounting for inflating the pad and applying an elevating pressure to thepatients perineum and ischio-rectal area to close the patients bladderoutlet and prevent egress of urine therefrom into the patients urethra,and harness means for supporting the rigid mounting in position on thepatient, the harness means comprising a pair of non-stretchable sideportions shaped to fit snugly the patients iliac crests to preventpressure being applied to the patients abdomen and to provide a pressurecounter to said elevating pressure over the patients iliac crests, andsuspension means pivotally connected to the side portions andinterconnecting the latter and the rigid mounting.

4. A device for treating incontinence of urine comprising a rigidmounting of arched construction for location between a patients legsadjacent the patients perineum and ischio-rectal area, an inflatable padcarried by the rigid mounting for contiguous disposition with the patients perineum and ischio-rectal area, means connected with the rigidmounting for inflating the pad and applying an elevating pressure to thepatients perineum and ischio-rectal area to close the patients bladderoutlet and prevent egress of urine therefrom into the patients urethra,and harness means for supporting the rigid mounting in position on thepatient, the harness means comprising a pair of non-stretchable sideportions shaped to fit snugly the patients iliac crests to preventpressure being applied to the patients abdomen and to provide a pressurecounter to said elevating pressure over the patients iliac crests, andsuspension means pivotally connected to the side portions andinterconnecting the latter and the rigid mounting, the inflating meanscomprising a conduit connected at one end with the pad, amanually-operable air pump connected with the other end of the conduit,and a manually-operable air release valve associated with the conduit.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS717,659 Clark Jan. 6, 1903 1,581,009 McSherry Apr. 13, 1926 1,790,801Dickstein Feb. 3, 1931 1,837,483 Cecil-Reaney Dec. 22, 1931 2,2A9,298Ratti July 15, 1941 2,493,406 Hicks July 3, 1950 2,602,444 Stanford July8, 1952 2,649,086 Sluijter Aug. 18, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 9,955 GreatBritain 1897 291,995 Italy Dec. 31, 1931

1. A DEVICE FOR TREATING INCONTINENCE OF URINE COMPRISING A RIGIDMOUNTING FOR LOCATION BETWEEN A PATIENT''S LEGS ADJACENT THE PATIENT''SPERINEUM AND ISCHIO-RECTAL AREA, A PAD CARRIED BY THE RIGID MOUNTING FORCONTIGUOUS DISPOSITION WITH THE PATIENT''S PERINEUM AND ISCHIO-RECTALAREA, AND HARNESS MEANS FOR SUPPORTING THE RIGID MOUNTING IN POSITION ONTHE PATIENT, THE HARNESS MEANS COMPRISING A PAIR OF SIDE PORTIONS SHAPEDTO FIT SNUGLY THE PATIENT''S ILIAC CRESTS TO PREVENT PRESSURE BEINGAPPLIED TO THE PATIENT''S ABDOMEN, AND ADJUSTABLE SUSPENSION MEANSINTERCONNECTING THE SIDE PORTIONS AND RIGID MOUNTING FOR APPLYING ANELEVATING PRESSURE TO THE PAD AND THEREBY TO THE PATIENT''S PERINEUM ANDISCHIO-RECTAL AREA TO CLOSE THE PATIENT''S BLADDER OUTLET AND PREVENTEGRESS OF URINE THEREFROM INTO THE PATIENT''S URETHRA, THE SHAPED SIDEPORTIONS SERVING TO PROVIDE A PRESSURE COUNTER TO SAID ELEVATINGPRESSURE OVER THE PATIENT''S ILIAC CRESTS.